What are the ways of the world?
In a life untouched by religious thought or by philosophies with similar insight, a human being is more likely to shun someone only because others shun them, do “good” only in ways that others find acceptable, and try to put oneself before others when able.
What are the ways of the world? In a life untouched by religious thought or by philosophies with similar insight, a human being is more likely to shun someone only because others shun them, do “good” only in ways that others find acceptable, and try to put oneself before others when able. In the world, this kind of behavior can often make a person more secure and popular than someone who goes against the mainstream to pick up someone who others want to see kept down or questions an unfair convention that is widely supported.
The ways of the world are more pervasive than the ways of Christian life. They cater to the strength of common and natural human desire. On the surface, they also seem to offer more benefits.
However, a Christian is called to question what is unfair and to try to pick up those who the crowds want to keep down, regardless of what the world wants. This angers the people who want to keep others down for self-centered reasons, and here one finds the conflict between the ways of the world and the Christian life. The fight on the Christian side is found in aiding those in need and helping others to understand what is genuinely good, and the good fight is one a Christian should be prepared for daily.